Jump to content
Premed 101 Forums

The Official August/September Registration Thread

The Law

By The Law
in MCAT Preparation

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.3k
  • Created
  • Last Reply
brownrobbin Newbie

brownrobbin

Posted
Posted

Hey,

has anyone tried to go to the AMCAS pg and register for the MCAT thru the link provided? (ie. re-enter the system). It says "We apologize for the inconvenience we are down for maintenance". So does thsi mean if uhaven't been sitting in front of the compt + logged in since 9am, u cant even log in to book now?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tan008 Newbie

Tan008

Posted
Posted
yeah, i was just thinking that

the least they can do is accept test scores till january.

 

i think the entire test is really geared towards applying to the states....which makes even less sense for why canada is still using it (if they really want an entrance test they could potentially make their own and have different deadlines).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tan008 Newbie

Tan008

Posted
Posted
Hey,

has anyone tried to go to the AMCAS pg and register for the MCAT thru the link provided? (ie. re-enter the system). It says "We apologize for the inconvenience we are down for maintenance". So does thsi mean if uhaven't been sitting in front of the compt + logged in since 9am, u cant even log in to book now?

 

you can still log back on...you just have to keep trying it...i get on every single time

Link to comment
Share on other sites
THX Newbie

THX

Posted
Posted
Hey,

has anyone tried to go to the AMCAS pg and register for the MCAT thru the link provided? (ie. re-enter the system). It says "We apologize for the inconvenience we are down for maintenance". So does thsi mean if uhaven't been sitting in front of the compt + logged in since 9am, u cant even log in to book now?

 

You can work your way in, when you reach that screen click the "home" that's on the top right (near the logout button). Which will prompt you to re-login, and you can squirm your way into the seat selection area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DaveW Newbie

DaveW

Posted
Posted
Hey,

has anyone tried to go to the AMCAS pg and register for the MCAT thru the link provided? (ie. re-enter the system). It says "We apologize for the inconvenience we are down for maintenance". So does thsi mean if uhaven't been sitting in front of the compt + logged in since 9am, u cant even log in to book now?

 

Try this link: http://services.aamc.org/20/mcat/portal/logout

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Law Newbie

The Law

Posted
  • Author
Posted
The Law- were u/ are you in law school/llb?

 

Haha no, my name is Lawrence, that's where I got my name from.

 

Oh and you can also think about the song from the clash... I fought the law and the ... law won, i fought the law and the... law won!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update from TPR:

Hi Lawrence,

 

 

 

Here are our latest updates, based on speaking with AAMC and many students.

 

 

 

First, AAMC is saying that they are having technical problems with their website. They have told us and several students that “they are working on it” (and in one case, that it should be “a few minutes”). We have heard from about seven people who have gotten seats, so it is possible but unfortunately there’s no pattern we can see for us to relay as an action plan. Most likely the website is “sputtering” and letting people through intermittently (or at least was earlier this morning). Two suggestions we can offer, based on student feedback and our own experience:

 

 

 

a) If you have an account, try this URL http://services.aamc.org/20/mcat/portal/logout to login. This seems to be able to at least get you in to check for seats. Don’t follow the “Register” links on the main pages: these still seem to be pulling up a “web site down for maintenance” message. Now this probably does mean that even though you can get in with your account that the technical problems are still going on and may explain the “no seats available messages”.

 

 

 

B) don’t let your session “time-out”. Be sure to keep clicking on items on the page to make sure your session is active in between checking for seats.

 

 

 

Second, not all test sites are displaying on the AAMC website. The official line is that “We are continuing to add sites”. There are many locations that have been posted in recent weeks that are not showing up for the August/September test dates (for example, the Vancouver area has had two test centres recently, it is currently showing only 1 for August/September, the Toronto area has had five centres recently, it is currently showing only 1 for August and September).

 

 

 

What does this mean?

 

 

 

The good news is that not getting a spot this so far morning probably doesn’t mean that you’re “out of luck”. It seems like, at the very least, there will be new sites added. We are probably entering a period of days, weeks or even months, during which AAMC’s official line will be that they are having technical issues, are still adding sites, and everyone should “just keep trying”. Registration doesn’t officially “close” for any of the test dates until about 4 weeks before any of the individual test dates. We have to face the possibility that AAMC won’t give any very specific updates.

 

 

 

The bad news stemming from this is that there isn’t a good plan of action for you to follow to be sure you get a seat. The only advice the AAMC really has is to keep trying. We could see this dragging out for days and maybe weeks, because there’s no timeline they’re willing to share about when test centres will be added or when the website will be fixed. And at some point, we’re running up against the limitation they announced this week about the number of seats (3,000 seats available across all the August/September test dates, while 6,000 students took the MCAT in Canada in August 2006). AAMC seems to be saying directly that some students will not get seats.

 

 

 

What else can you do?

 

 

 

The system is a free-for-all, and one that’s set up to inconvenience students on a more or less random basis given the lack of seats. If you tried to register this morning and didn’t get a seat, it’s probably a good idea to email AAMC at mcat@aamc.org to let them know. Mention your name and your AAMC ID. Mention that you’re in Canada, what your preferred site and date is, and mention all the other test dates and locations you tried as back-ups. Will this resolve anything? Probably not. We’re not suggesting this because we think if you do someone at AAMC will call you and make sure you get registered. But if no one says anything, there’s no chance that AAMC will change their plan. If enough students contact them, making it clear that they are registered with the AAMC (not with The Princeton Review, we’re a separate company and that won’t carry weight with them) and that they did everything right (logged on early, checked every option not just the first choice), and STILL didn’t get a seat, then at least they have the evidence that would point toward the need to chance their policy.

 

 

 

Here at The Princeton Review, we want you to know that your course is not something you need to worry about as you struggle with all the registration issues. We hope every one of our students will ultimately get a seat. If not, there are several possibilities. One possibility is that AAMC will continue to say that things will work out for the next few days, weeks or even months. That could lead to your course starting and you still don’t know if you have a seat for the 2007 MCAT. Don’t worry! You can take the course this summer and if you ultimately don’t take the test in 2007 because you can’t get a seat, you can repeat the course for free in 2008. Alternatively, you could also transfer to a 2008 course for free, if you don’t want to invest the time into studying this summer. And you’re always able to withdraw and get a 100% refund up until the end of the first week of your course. These are worst case scenarios, but we don’t you worrying about more stuff than you have to: the MCAT registration problems will NOT translate into any problems with the money you’ve chosen to invest in MCAT preparation with The Princeton Review.

 

 

 

All the best,

 

The Staff at The Princeton Review

 

Phone: 1-866-877-7737

 

Email:

 

Ontario/Quebec/New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/Newfoundland: infotoronto@review.com

 

British Columbia/Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba: infovancouver@review.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Daemos Newbie

Daemos

Posted
Posted
Easier maybe... If you can get yourself a seat. The MCAT is so random, everything from signing up to the question you get to the enviroment you write in.

 

If four years of pre-med pre-reqs on a provinicaly scaled GPA don't show you can take a med school academic demdands then nothing will.

 

MCAT = one day evaluation of your abilities

GPA = two to four years evaluation of your abilities

 

If I was hiring ppl then the four year history is way more important to me than a one day achievement.

 

But I hear ya if you don't like your GPA and need the MCAT. We all have bias considering our personal circumstances etc.

 

But whatever, nothing we can do about it. Just giving me clicking finger some rest... Now back to cicking like a brainless zombie.

 

The thing with the mcat, it tests a few things

1) The knowledge you SHOULD have before entering med school

2) How well you do under endurance/pressure situations

3) How well you can think critically under those situations.

 

GPA much more random than the MCAT, as the MCAT is standardized, and GPA can vary so much from school to school. A person who may only get a 3.0 GPA from one school might get a 4.0 in another school, based on the ease of exams, or materials taught.

 

Not to mention, many GPA boosters can be used to inflate one's GPA. If I were to compare my university to some others, certain courses (like biochem/organic chem) is much easier than some other universities, or much harder than others.

 

There is a lack of uniform testing, because I could just go to some easy uni in Canada and have a really high GPA, then someone who worked their asses off at a very tough university, would lose the chance to get in, when in fact they might just be a lot more intelligent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
avenir001 Newbie

avenir001

Posted
Posted
Easier maybe... If you can get yourself a seat. The MCAT is so random, everything from signing up to the question you get to the enviroment you write in.

 

If four years of pre-med pre-reqs on a provinicaly scaled GPA don't show you can take a med school academic demdands then nothing will.

 

MCAT = one day evaluation of your abilities

GPA = two to four years evaluation of your abilities

 

If I was hiring ppl then the four year history is way more important to me than a one day achievement.

 

it's true that gpa seems like a better measure, but people achieve their gpa's in all kinds of programs. And although it also depends on the person's strengths and interests, some programs/courses are easier than others and some people are better at or more motivated to use this to their advantage...so gpa's aren't really standardized whereas the mcat is at least intended to be so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Daemos Newbie

Daemos

Posted
Posted

I still don't understand why they even switched to a computer based system...short of making collecting exams easier, and cutting down on exam times (Which may make it less accurate in testing one's abilities)...I don't see how it really holds an advantage.

 

the 22x a year thing isn't really an advantage, as most students would PERFER to write it as late as possible to get as much prep tiem as possible, and as this system has proven, if you register early (as you can only hold one seat at a time) and decide to retest later, you are outta luck.

 

And most of the exams which are in Jan/Feb/March/April are kind of useless as most people who are writing the mcat are STILL STUDENTS, and how can you prepare for the MCAT when you have regular school to worry about?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Daemos Newbie

Daemos

Posted
Posted
but yeah, how was the old system, is it the same kind of registration method?

 

The old system worked much better because there were LOTS of seats available ;)

 

The new system reduces the amount of seats.

 

I registered for the mcat late last year and there were still plenty of seats.

 

Computers may be the future (I'm a tech geek) but, only if you can use them right, so far the aamc has not impressed me with their use of the technology of 'the future'

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rogerroger Newbie

rogerroger

Posted
Posted

The old system was similar yet there was hardly any probs getting a seat. I registered in June for Aug without a problem.

 

Taking a test on a computer isn't a natural method by which most of us take tests as well. So that is kinda annoying. I love good ol fashioned paper that I can hold and alter as I see fit when it comes to most academic related things (minus lab reports etc.) That might just be me however....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...